The present invention relates to a system for mounting a wheel and in particular a bicycle component with a wheel mount where a wheel having a hub can be received, and a bicycle component with a wheel received in a wheel mount. The bicycle component according to the invention can be configured for example as a front wheel fork or as a bicycle frame at which a wheel can be received.
Bicycle components which can receive a wheel have become known in the prior art. For example, front wheel forks have become known where the dropouts provided at the lower ends of the stationary tubes are provided with a mounting slot into which a fixed axle of a wheel hub can be inserted to thus affix the wheel to the fork.
If a knock-out spindle is used, said knock-out spindle is inserted through the hub and the fork dropouts and screwed to a front fork dropout. As an alternative a quick release may be employed which is inserted through the hollow hub axle, urging the dropouts against the fixed axle on the outsides of the dropouts, thus clamping the wheel to the front fork.
Demands on the stressability of bicycles keep increasing. In particular in riding a mountain bike on rough ground or on the road the user sets store by a firm, rigid connection between the handlebar and the front wheel in the case of obstacles in the way, such that, rocks or other obstacles notwithstanding, the handlebar precisely follows the steering movements of the user and is not distorted due to insufficient rigidity.
To enhance the clamping effect, knurled disks tend to be employed at the contact surface between the dropout and the fixed axle, cutting into the dropout surface due to their knurled surface, thus achieving a firm contact.
Using knurled disks, however, involves the drawback that after repeatedly mounting and demounting the wheel the dropout surfaces are adversely affected by the loads occurring such that the front wheel fork or the bicycle frame may become useless although the components have not reached their load limits by far.
If no knurled disks are used, repeatedly mounting and demounting the wheel will still lead to wear of the contact and supporting surfaces.
One may try to reduce wear by hardening the loaded surfaces or manufacturing them from more stable and durable materials.
These solutions are, however, unsatisfactory since they may adversely affect the strength of the connection or increase the weight. Moreover, wear will still occur.
It is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a bicycle component which allows a secure connection with a wheel and has a long service life.